In a rather peculiar turn of events, the Big Ten tournament was taking place in the rainy Midwest while the weather was perfect in Southern California. However, the top-ranked UCLA baseball team had more pressing concerns to tackle on Friday.
They faced a determined team from Purdue.
After stumbling early in the game, the Bruins found themselves trailing until the eighth inning, thanks in part to a series of errors. But then, almost as if the rainbow in the sky before the game hinted at something special, UCLA finally found their rhythm.
During the quarterfinals at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, the game was tied at two in the eighth inning. With the bases loaded and one out in the ninth inning, Mulibai Lev’s sacrifice fly secured a thrilling 4-3 comeback victory for UCLA.
Excitement surged as the Bruins rushed out of the dugout to celebrate with the Rebs, who also played a crucial role in the rally from the previous inning.
“We’ve got grit; we all stick together, and we just don’t give up,” Reb said to the Big Ten Network after helping his team improve to 8-4 in games where they trailed after seven innings.
UCLA (49-6) kicked off the ninth inning with two runners on base, courtesy of some fielding and throwing mistakes by Purdue. Dean West then executed a sacrifice, moving both runners into scoring position, prompting Purdue (37-20) to intentionally walk Rock Cholowski to load the bases.
Following that, Reb connected on a two-and-one pitch to right field, allowing pinch runner Jarrod Hocking to easily score the winning run from third base.
“We were fortunate, and Vai did a great job getting the ball high enough to hit into the outfield,” UCLA coach Jon Savage remarked.
What It Means
This turnaround spared UCLA from a potentially embarrassing loss, which could have sapped their momentum after they breezed through the regular season as the top team in the nation.
Now, they’re set up for a rivalry match against USC in the semifinals. The Bruins previously swept the three-game series against them at Jackie Robinson Stadium in April.
Turning Point
In the eighth inning, with two outs and no one on base, UCLA was down by two runs. Then Reb hit a single, and Dean Martin followed up with a drive that reached the yellow band above the left-center wall.
Initially, Martin thought he had hit a triple, then a home run, before being informed to head to third base. Peyton Brennan subsequently delivered a scoring single to center field, tying the game and setting the stage for the thrilling ninth inning.
Did You See That?
In one memorable moment during the seventh inning, Purdue’s Brandon Rodgers hit a home run that sailed over the left-field wall and into the UCLA bullpen. He then celebrated by donning a football helmet in the dugout, a fun team tradition.
MVP: Mulibai Lev
In addition to his pivotal hit, Lev contributed two hits in three at-bats, including a walk.
What was running through his mind as he approached the plate in the bottom of the ninth?
“Just try to calm down and do my job,” Reb said to the Big Ten Network. “I wasn’t aiming to do too much; I just wanted to put the ball in play and let the guy on third score.”
To The Next
The Bruins are set to clash with their crosstown rival, USC, in the semifinals at noon Pacific on Saturday.
